Picking NFL Week 17

How I did last week: 5-9

Even worse than the week before...

Record on the season: 124-91

Experiencing a late-season slump that would make the Texans proud.

Dolphins at Patriots: Might see a lot of backup QB Brian Hoyer in this one, with New England having already locked up homefield advantage. But the Patriots have the all-around talent to win this even with their backups getting a lot of playing time. Patriots.

Vikings at Lions: Detroit's on a bit of a roll – three straight wins – and the Vikings are coming off a very short week. Lions.

Panthers at Falcons: After getting beat by the Saints last Monday, Atlanta can't take it easy here against Carolina. Which should all but guarantee that the Panthers are a lock for the number one pick of the 2011 draft. Falcons.

Raiders at Chiefs: I could see Kansas City slipping up here, now that the pressure of winning the division has lifted, if they weren't playing at home and if Oakland had something more to play for. Chiefs.

Steelers at Browns: Pittsburgh is another team that can't afford to take the foot off the gas this week as they will want to secure homefield advantage, particularly as arguably their best defensive player Troy Polamalu is still recovering from an injury. Steelers.

Bills at Jets: If Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't already shown the decision makers in Buffalo that he deserve to be the franchise's starting quarterback in 2011, this is the perfect opportunity for him to leave a pleasant memory in their minds heading into the offseason (a la Matt Moore in 2010). Bills.

Buccaneers at Saints: The Saints killed the Bucs in Tampa in October, and New Orleans has only got better since that game. Saints.

Bengals at Ravens: Another chance to impress for Cincinnati's young stable of pass catchers: Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Jermaine Gresham, who last week combined for 14 catches and 267 receiving yards. Ravens.

Bears at Packers: Aaron Rodgers shone last week in his return from injury as did the rest of his team and the Packers simply have so much more to play for than the Bears in this one. Packers.

Giants at Redskins: The jobs of both Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin may hang in the balance this offseason if the Giants don't make the playoffs (Eli job's a lot safer, but I could see New York drafting a young QB if one they like falls into their lap). For that reason, even if they don't control their own playoff destiny, New York better not drop this game. Giants.

Jaguars at Texans: Jacksonville is beyond banged-up: they'll play without David Garrard, Maurice Jones-Drew, starting tight end Zach Miller, and possibly receiver Mike Sims-Walker Sunday. Those losses will be too much to overcome against Houston. Texans.

Cowboys at Eagles: Philadelphia is locked into the NFC's number 3 slot, able to neither improve nor worsen their playoff standing in this game. So expect Mike Vick, DeSean Jackson, and plenty of other starting Eagles to watch from the sidelines while the Cowboys win the 2011 head coaching job for Jason Garrett. Cowboys.

Titans at Colts: Can't see the Colts dropping the ball now, having won three straight must-win games to regain control of the AFC South and put themselves on the verge of the playoffs. Colts.

Chargers at Broncos: I think every football fan in America is dying to see if Tim Tebow's 300+ passing yard day last week was a fluke or not. Against the defense which allows the fewest yards of any in the league, America should get some answers. Chargers.

Cardinals at 49ers: Come draft time, both teams will be wishing had lost this game. Or maybe that's already in their minds. Cardinals.

Rams at Seahawks: Believe it or not, this is the most enticing match-up of the weekend. Playing in front of their rabid fans at Qwest field is a huge advantage for Seattle. But Charlie Whitehurst vs. Sam Bradford: advantage St. Louis. Big, big advantage St. Louis. Rams.